1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium production control device, to a recording medium production control method, and to a program. More particularly, the invention relates to a recording medium production control device, to a recording medium production control method, and to program instructions stored on a tangible computer-readable medium for controlling a plurality of data recording devices and recording information on optical recording media such as DVDs and CDs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demand has risen for centrally managing recording data on optical recording media such as CDs and DVDs in order to ensure the confidentiality of personal information and corporate secrets, for example. Demand for producing or dubbing relatively small quantities, such as approximately 10 to 100, optical recording media for distribution at trade shows or on the street is also growing. To meet these needs, disc-publishing devices that record digital data, image data, or music data, for example, at high speed on optical recording media and then print the disc content on the label surface have been introduced. An example of a recording medium production device for business applications is the recording medium production device taught in Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2002-58649 that has a disc holder for stocking blank CDs, a CD recording unit, a label printer unit, and a recorded CD holder, and is used for recording medical images on optical recording media and printing an identification label on the label side.
However, manufacturing data recording devices for recording on DVDs, CDs, and other optical recording media at high speed and printers for printing the recording content on the label surface specifically for such recording medium production devices is costly and time-consuming. The development of recording medium production devices that use existing data recording devices and printers to reduce the production cost and production time is thus desired.
However, even if existing devices such as data recording devices and printers are used, these devices are designed to operate separately and independently. A resulting problem is that interference occurs between the transportation unit that carries the optical recording media between the devices and the data recording and printing devices, and the optical recording media production process cannot execute normally. For example, the tray of the data recording device and the transportation unit may collide or the optical recording medium may not be delivered to the printer, and optical recording media production cannot proceed normally.
The printer driver is also set to output to a file in order to send the print commands and print data to the printer after waiting for an optical recording medium to be carried to the printer. A problem with this arrangement is that the printer driver cannot communicate continuously with the printer. The printer driver also cannot get the operating status of the printer.